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How cosmetic dentistry from your dentist in Upper Marlboro can improve your smile

Does your smile make a statement? If so, what kind of statement does it make? Your smile tells the world all about you, so if your smile needs a little work, it’s time to think about showing off your best possible smile. Dr. Leonard Bers at Parkside-Westphalia Dental Associates in Upper Marlboro, MD wants to introduce you to cosmetic dentistry and how it can reshape and improve your smile.

Dr. Bers wants to introduce you to just a few of the wide variety of cosmetic dental services available at Parkside-Westphalia Dental Associates. For example:

If you have a smile that is showing its age thanks to dark stains or yellowing, a professional teeth whitening treatment can give your smile back its sparkle. Professional teeth whitening can whiten your teeth up to 8 shades whiter, and the results can last up to 5 years! That’s much better results than you will get with over-the-counter whitening products. You can choose from a speedy in-office treatment or a convenient take-home whitening kit.

If your smile is suffering because of large, old, crumbly metal fillings, cosmetic tooth-colored fillings are the answer you’ve been waiting for. Cosmetic fillings use composite, a unique liquid resin that can be perfectly matched to the color of your teeth. It can be shaped and sculpted to blend with the contours of your teeth, making the filling virtually indistinguishable from your natural teeth.

Cosmetic bonding also uses composite to repair cracks, fracture lines, small chips, or other defects. During a bonding or cosmetic filling appointment, the composite is placed and sculpted while it is liquid, and then it is hardened using a high-tech ultraviolet light. The result is a beautiful restorative treatment that enhances your smile.

If you want your smile to look perfect, porcelain veneers are the choice to make. They can dramatically enhance the color, shape, and beauty of your teeth, giving you a smile that is celebrity-perfect! Veneers are thin laminates of translucent porcelain that are bonded to the front surfaces of your teeth. They can hide both minor and major aesthetic issues with your teeth.

This is just a small sample of the cosmetic services available to help you show off your best possible smile. For more information about cosmetic dentistry and what it can do for you call Dr. Bers at Parkside-Westphalia Dental Associates in Upper Marlboro, MD today!

Tooth loss doesn’t have to be forever when there is a long-term tooth replacement out there.

Missing one or more permanent teeth? If so, then you’re probably trying to figure out the best way to replace those missing teeth before more serious complications set in. Of course, we understand that you want to get a restoration that looks as close to a real tooth as possible. That’s why our Upper Marlboro, MD, dentist, Dr. Leonard Bers, offers dental implants.

If you are looking for a tooth replacement that is durable, reliable, functions like a natural tooth and could last you the rest of your life if you maintain good oral care then a dental implant might just be the restoration you’ve been looking for. No other tooth replacement will resemble a natural tooth as well as implants. An implant’s role is to take the place of your missing tooth’s roots. These roots are necessary for maintaining a healthy, strong jawbone.

However, in order for the implant to become your new artificial tooth roots, this means that our Upper Marlboro will have to place the implant into the jawbone during a minor in-office surgery. This surgery is performed under local anesthesia, so your mouth will be completely numb and you won’t feel anything. From there, we will make a small hole in the jawbone where the implant will go and then carefully place the implant into the bone.

Once this surgery is complete you will wait a couple of months for your mouth to fully heal. During this recovery process, something pretty amazing happens: The jawbone and tissue begin to grow around and fuse together with the implant to make it a permanent foundation. The implant is now a lifelong part of the jawbone.

Now that the implant is completely fused together with the jawbone and tissue it’s time to start the next step in the process. In some cases this might include placing a structure called an abutment over top of the implant. This will require us to open up the gums to reveal the top of the implant so we can attach the abutment. The abutment will connect the implant and a dental crown to one another.

The gums will take a couple more weeks to heal from this minor abutment-placing procedure. While this is happening we will have a permanent dental crown made. The last step is to come back in to secure or screw the crown over the top of the abutment.

If you are ready to treat your tooth loss and want to find out if dental implants can give you your smile back then schedule a consultation with Parkside-Westphalia Dental Associates in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Years of drinking coffee has stained your tooth enamel. In fact, the discoloration is so noticeable you hate to open your mouth to smile or laugh. Teeth whitening from Upper Marlboro dentist, Dr. Leonard Bers, brightens smiles safely in just one visit to Parkside-Westphalia Dental Associates. You'll be surprised at how different your teeth look after professional whitening and at how your self-confidence improves.

Why do teeth stain?

There are many reasons, but one of the most common involves the normal structure of tooth enamel. Although rock-hard, tooth enamel is porous, too, composed of a network of calcified fibers which catch and hold the organic matter we put in our mouths. Dark foods and beverages (coffee, sports drinks, and soy sauce as examples) and of course, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, are obvious culprits as are some prescription medications. Simple age and wear and tear discolor teeth, too.

Enter professional teeth whitening

While over the counter whitening toothpastes, strips and rinses help lighten teeth, they are not as effective, and sometimes not as safe, as professional whitening by your Upper Marlboro dental team. Dr. Bers carefully evaluates his prospective whitening patients, ensuring their teeth and gums are healthy enough for the treatment.

If they are, the patient can expect to spend an hour or so in the dental chair and to leave the office with a smile that's several shades brighter in color. Dr. Bers uses a concentrated hydrogen peroxide gel to power out discolorations. He places a plastic dam in the mouth to protect the lips and gums, and then he swabs the whitening gel on tooth surfaces.

The gel penetrates the teeth and literally lifts out the staining organic matter. After the prescribed amount of time, the dentist rinses the gel off to reveal a stunning new look.

Keeping that white smile

To keep a newly whitened smile shining, try to limit staining food and drinks. Avoid tobacco completely, and of course, brush twice a day and floss between teeth. Keep six-month exam and cleaning appointments with Dr. Bers, and if needed, get a whitening touch-up.

The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry states that people desire to improve their tooth color more than any other smile feature. So professional teeth whitening delivers just what they want without heavily impacting their personal schedule or wallet. Of course, Dr. Bers offers other cosmetic dental treatments, too. You can discuss your specific smile goals when you come for a personal consultation.

Why not give it a try?

All you have to lose is that dull, dingy smile. Call Parkside-Westphalia Dental Associates in Upper Marlboro, MD today to learn more about professional teeth whitening at (301) 599-0303.

Getting your tooth knocked out, chipped or cracked during a game of soccer or football may cause you to panic and worry. Not everyone knows what to do during this dental emergency, which is why Dr. Leonard Bers, your dentist in Upper Marlboro, MD, has some advice for dealing with your emergency and solution to fixing those cracks and chips.

What's a dental emergency?

Any damage done to your tooth or soft-tissue needs immediate care. If you experience the loss of a tooth, be sure to rinse your mouth and the tooth. Don't touch the tooth from the roots, just from the crown. Try placing the tooth back into its socket. If that doesn't work, immerse the tooth in salt water or milk and go to your Upper Marlboro dentist for emergency care immediately.

If you experience an injury to your cheeks, gums or tongue, put pressure on the bleeding using a gauze or a moist tea bag. Try placing ice to the injury so as to reduce the swelling and bleeding. If the bleeding persists after 20-30 minutes of pressure and ice, then you will need to go to the emergency room or Dr. Bers' office.

What to do about chips and cracks?

If you're worried about chips and cracks in your teeth, then worry no more. Dr.Bers can resolve these issues using simple cosmetic procedures. One example is dental bonding. This is when your dentist applies a composite resin on to your chipped or cracked tooth, contours the resin so it matches your other intact teeth, then solidifies the resin using a curing light. The bonded tooth will blend in with the rest of your teeth, giving you a smile you don't have to be embarrassed by.

For more information on what to do during a dental emergency and how to deal with injuries, call your Upper Marlboro, MD, dentist. You can contact Dr. Leonard Bers at his office by calling (301) 599-0303. Your dental and oral health are a priority!

If you are missing one or more teeth in a row, or if you have a tooth that is badly decaying, you can rejuvenate your smile. Just ask Dr. Leonard Bers about your smile gap or ailing tooth because he has many ways to restore or replace teeth lost to gum disease, accident, or dental cavities. Crowns and bridges in Upper Marlboro, MD, are just two of the choices he offers. Could one of them be right for you?

Dental Crowns in Upper Marlboro

A dental crown, also called a cap, is made from precious gold (for superior strength), porcelain fused to metal (PFM) or all porcelain (the most realistic), crowns preserve and support the healthy portion of a tooth that has:

Multiple fillings

Extensive decay

Dental abscess (infection)

A large crack

Root canal therapy (where the diseased inner pulp is removed)

An odd shape or size (so that it does not blend in well with neighboring teeth)

Plus, crowns may be used to even dental bite and reduce the wear and tear on teeth ground down from bruxism. Bruxism is an oral health problem in which a person habitually clenches or grinds his or her teeth).

To determine if your tooth can receive a crown, Dr. Bers will examine it and take X-rays. If he is satisfied that the tooth would benefit from a crown, he removes the failing tooth enamel and shapes the healthy portion to receive the restoration. Often he places a temporary crown over the prepared tooth.

The dentist also takes oral impressions and sends detailed information to an outside dental lab. The lab sculpts a crown from the chosen material. During the next dental visit, Dr. Bers removes the temporary crown and installs the new one, making sure it matches in color and bite.

Finally, dental crowns may support fixed bridgework or restore a superior tooth replacement called the dental implant. In either case, crowns last for a decade or more when the patient practices routine brushing and flossing at home and gets semi-annual examinations and hygienic cleanings with Dr. Bers.

What is fixed bridgework?

Bridges restore smile gaps of one, two or more teeth in a row. They come in three types:

Conventional, composed of artificial teeth (pontics) attached to and supported by crowns on adjacent natural teeth

Cantilevered, also supported by a single crown on just one side of the artificial teeth (usually for the back of the mouth)

Resin-bonded, with pontics attached to a metal strip bonded to the back of adjoining teeth

Anther restoration option is the implant-supported bridge which anchors teeth to the jaw via dental implants.

What can we do for your smile?

You may be surprised at how natural-looking and well-functioning your smile can be with crowns and bridges from your Upper Marlboro, MD, dentist. Why not contact Dr. Bers' office team for a consultation? Get your questions answered, and learn all the possibilities for your best possible smile. Call today at (301) 599-0303.

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